Road-wheel of automobiles and the like.



G, W. & E. F. GOODYEAR. M. & c w. GOODYEAR & J. zAuLxmmnxncuTons or a. w, uoonymnymzo'n.

ROAD WHEEL OF AUTOMOBILES AND THE LIKE. APPLIOATION nun NOV. 17, 1911.

1,105,646. Patnted Aug. 4, 1914 dTATEid Prhiliiil'td i" Oi iliitCE,

GEORGE W. GOODYEAR AND ERNEST I. GOODYEAR, 0F DUDLEY, ENGLAND: MARIA GOODYEAR, CHARLES WILLIAM GOODYEAR, AND JOSEPH FAULKNER EXECUTORS OF SAID GEORGE W. GOODYEAR. DECEASED.

ROAD-WHEEL OF AUTOMOBILES AND THE LIKE.

weenie.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, Gnonen ruman Goonricau and ERNEST FREDERICK doonrnan, subjects of the Kingdom of Great Britain,

residing at Reliance Works, Dudley, in the ments in or relating to wheels such as the road wheels of automobiles and the like, and more particularly to such of these wheels as are composed of steel or equivalent material,

the object of the present invention being to so construct or iminufacture the wheel and to enable it to more satisfactorily avoid lateral strain, as also to enable the wheel to resemble one made of Wood, while furthermore the improved wheel is stronger and generally of better and more satisfactory construction than these existing heretofore, haying regard to both utility and cost in manufacture.

In order that this invention may be clearly understoml and more readily carried into practice, l'eit'erence may be had to the appended explanatory sheet of drawings, upon which 1 v Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a wheel suitable as the road wheel of an automobile and constructed in accordance with the pres entinventimn Fig. 2 is an enlarged trans verse section on line 1, 2, of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section showing separately the rim indicated by reference it shown in Fig. 2. Fig. at is a transverse section on line 3, 4, of Figs.

1 and 2.

According to this invention the spokes of the wheel are each composed of a metallic of the wheel to thereby prevent lateral bend ingor distortion of the spoke. In order to provide the internal 'web integral with the Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 17, 1911.

Patented Aug. 4, 19M.

Serial No. 660,905.

metal of the tubular spoke, the latter is composed of a seamed tube jointed at c the sheet metal ot the tube being at one edge bent at a right angle at which angle it extends across the internal space of the tube in the form of the web 3 until it butts against the otherside thcreot. At the position at which such extremity of the internal web butts against the inner surface of the tube, said web may be welded, brazed or otherwise secured or it may be loose while the joint 0 which isshown as a butt joint but which may in some cases be a lap joint, is welded, brazed or otherwise suitably secured by which means the web is satisfactorily retained in its desired position. if desired the edge of the web farthest removed from the lap joint may be curled or rolled over at (l to form a largcr surface by which it may be jointed to the-inner surface of; the tube a. The welding or brazing of this joint may be effected after the tube and web have been formed to the desired configuration or the joint may be e'fiected at an intermediate stage in the manufacture of the combined tube and web. The outer extremities of the spokes are secured to a rim 6 0t channel section adapted externally to resemble the folly of a wooden wheel and said rim of channel section has at the outermost edges of its two flanges, lips or rings f di-.

verging away from each other as shown in Fig. 2 or at an angle of about to the flanges 9 upon which they are formed. In between the inclined lips f is disposed a standard section rim It adapted to receive and carry a pneumatic tire. Said standard section pneumatic rim is conveniently of the form shown in lii 3 and is s .lit-or divided at one point in its circumference to permit of its being sprung over one of the lips f upon the channel rim 6 and after being placed in position its joint is welded, brazed or otherwise secured, in addition to which the rim. may be jointed at each side to the inclined lips f throughout the entire circumference of the wheel, the lips forming-a look by which the standard section pneumatic rim cannot be displaced after it has been jointed and fixed in its contracted condition.

At the outermost extremities of the spokes holes in the. base of the channel rim ,jected through a hole in the channel rim after which thetongues are secured to the side flanges g of the channel rim at their inner surface. The whole is brazed, welded or otherwise suitably secured and if de-- sired the tongues a may be riveted'to the side flanges g of the channel rim .6. The

through which the tongues Qt project, may in the process of formation be surrounded with metal j which is curved inwardly in a direction toward the center of the wheel and which metal forms a collar surrounding the tube spoke by which the latter may be more effectively secured, welded or brazed in connection with the rim 6. The tongues 11 may be tapered orpointed or they may be square at their outermost extremities formed by dividing the tube for a short distance and opening out the halves. as an alternative to this arrangement however, a boss may be provided upon the base of the channel rim, within the latter, said boss being adapted to receive the end of the tube which latter'is secured by welding, brazing or the like within the boss, the boss being in similar manner secured or welded within the channel and if desired being. furnished with lugs, extensions orthe like by which it is riveted to more efiectively retain it in position within the rim. Or a similar boss may be provided upon the face of the channel rim I nearest the center of the wheel to receive the allextremity of the tube spoke and secure the latter to the rim. (Jr a male boss may be provided upon the surface of the channel base nearest the center of the wheel, said male boss being adapted to project into the extremity of the tube spoke thereby retaining the latter in the desired connection.

Such a construction as afore described maybe provided upon either a cast or a pressed. hub. In the former case the inner extremities of the spokes mayproject into blind holes within thepcriphery of the hub, the latter being cored or suitably formed for lightness. Or a metal boss may be provided upon the hub to project within the innermost extremity of each tube spoke so retaining the latter inv position. Where a pressed hub is employed it may be formed intwo halves is each being corrugated around their edges or otherwise pressed to a form, which, upon the two halves of the hub being brought together, provides a series of perforations for the reception of the spokes which latter project into the interior or the hub and may butt against same. A concentric sleeve or collar may be provided to which the spokes may be welded, brazed or otherwise suitably secured. In addition to. or instead of the sleeve aforesaid, suitable anchorage is provided to centrally su port or secure the hollow bosses which project intothe inner extremities of the tube spokes and so retain the=lattcr in position. By suitably providing shoulders upon the bosses last mentioned, a flush joint may be provided between the spokes and the hub together.

The sides or halves of the hub may be bolted together in any suitable manner, and t6 prevent the parts of the hub sections from being constrained in toward each other, compression tubes or equivalent members are provided conveniently surrounding the tension bolts.

'By the employment of the integral laterally disposed web within the spoke and by suitably securing the spoke to the rim as also to the hub, a particularly hi h degree of lateral strength is attained ren ering the wheel particularly well adapted for use as the road wheel of an automobile.

What we claim as our invention and detending transversely across the hollow intef nor with the side edge secured to the. in-

terior of the spoke body, the other side edge being secured to the body at a point opposite the first named side edge, substantially as described.

2. A hollow wheel spoke comprising an elongated tubular body formed of a sheet of metal having one longitudinal portion extending across the hollow interior of the body and into engagement therewith, the other side edge being secured to the body at a point opposite said first named side edge, substantially as described.

3. A hollow wheel spoke comprising an elongated tubular body formed of one sheet of light metal and having one portion extending transversely across said body, substantially as described.

l. A hollow wheel spoke comprising an elongated body formed of one sheet oflight metal and having one portion extending transversely across sa1d hollow body, said transverse portion extending substantially throughout the length of said body, Sllbbttlll' tially as described.

i 5. A hollow wheel spoke comprising an 6. A hollow WhBQISPGkB comprising an In Witness whereof We have hegeunto sci; elongated tubular one piece body of oval our hands in the presence of two Witnesses. cross section and having an integral transv G. W. GOODYEAR. verse portion disposed coincident with the E. F. GOODYEAR. major oval axis of said body, the end of the Witneisses: spoke being bifurcated transversely of such I'IOLLIB F. BROWN. axis, subsi'zzmtixiiy as described. ARTHUR H. BROWN, 

